Süper Lig: Osimhen scores again as Galatasaray thrash Konyaspor

Victor Osimhen continued his impressive goalscoring form as Galatasaray strengthened their grip on top spot in the Turkish Süper Lig with a commanding 4-0 victory over Konyaspor on Friday.

The Super Eagles striker opened the scoring in the 12th minute, taking his league tally to nine goals in eight appearances this season as Okan Buruk’s side moved to 22 points after 10 matches.

Galatasaray made an early statement when Osimhen rose to meet Gabriel Sara’s free kick with a powerful header, giving the hosts the lead.

The Nigerian came close to doubling his tally before the break, but his effort from the left side of the penalty area in stoppage time was tipped over the crossbar.

Yunus Akgün had earlier made it 2-0 in the 28th minute, finishing from outside the box after a well-worked corner involving Sara and Batrakov.

Galatasaray maintained their dominance after the restart, with Aleksey Batrakov extending the lead in the 49th minute. The Russian midfielder collected Sara’s pass inside the area and finished past the goalkeeper to register his first league goal for the club.

The hosts added a fourth from the penalty spot in the 55th minute after VAR overturned referee Cihan Aydın’s initial decision to award a corner following an incident involving Rafael Leão. The Portuguese forward converted the spot kick to register his first goal for Galatasaray and complete the rout.

Osimhen was substituted in the 61st minute after recording five shots, three on target, and contributing another goal to Galatasaray’s winning performance.

The result also ended a difficult run for the Istanbul giants, who had lost four of their previous six visits to Konyaspor, including a 2-0 defeat on their last trip.

Awaziem plays full match in Konyaspor Defeat

Fellow Nigerian Chidozie Awaziem featured for the full 90 minutes but could not prevent Konyaspor from suffering a heavy home defeat.

The defender arrived on the back of a match-winning performance against Gençlerbirliği, where he scored twice in a 2-0 victory, but faced a difficult evening against the league leaders.

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Awaziem recorded two interceptions, three clearances and three recoveries, won three of his four ground duels and completed 97 per cent of his passes.

The appearance was his eighth league outing of the season, taking his playing time in the Turkish top flight to 607 minutes.

Galatasaray, who have now won eight of their 10 league matches, will turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they are scheduled to host VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday, 3rd November.